Tag-holder.



. W. H. HOLLIS.

TAG HOLDER. w APPLICATION IILED MAR. s, 1910.

Patented July 12, 1910.

WILLIAM H. HOLLIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TAG-HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. HOLLIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tag-Holders, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference belng had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My present invention consists in a novel device adapted to interchangeably hold tags or signs of different sizes and shapes and is particularly adapted and devised for holding the license tags or number bearing plates carried by automobiles.

The object of the invention is the provision of a holder, for the purpose specified, which is strong and durable and at the same time is relatively light in weight and inexpensive to manufacture and not unsightly in appearance, and which will permit one tag to be removed and another put in place quickly and easily notwithstanding substantial differences in size and shape between the different tags.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of my invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated some of the forms in which the invention may be embodied.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away and in section, of one form of tag holder constructed in accordance, with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial sectional elevation on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified construction. Fig. 5 is a partial sectional plan taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a partial end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4:. Fig. 7 is a partial front elevation, and Fig. 8 a partial end elevation, of another form of the invention.

In the drawings, and referring first to the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A and B represent two arms which extend at right angles to one another. As shown, the arms A and B are supported and connected by a member G, into a socket C of which the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1910.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Serial No. 548,035.

lower end of the arm A is threaded and firmly anchored in place. The arm B is slidingly received in a socket G and is adjustably secured in place by the clamping screw D. The member C is slotted at O to receive the corner of the tag or sign T. The

right hand end of the tag of sign T is engaged by a holder or clip F secured to the corresponding end of the arm B.

The holders or clips F and F are identical in construction and arrangement except for the provisions for securing them to the supporting arms. As shown, each holder or clip comprises a bow shaped piece f which encircles the supporting arm. Between the ends of the member 7 1s secured a distance piece f as by rivets The distance piece f is of a width less than the width of the piece f and arranged to provide a recess or groove between the ends of the member 7 to receive the corresponding edge of a tag or sign. The distance piece f preferably extends into the slot A or B, as the case may be, thus forming a key anchoring the corresponding clip or holder against turning on its supporting arm. The holder F is rigidly secured to the end of the arm B as by a rivet F. The holder or clip F is adjustably clamped in position by the clamping screw E.

Any suitable means for securing the tag holder, as a whole, in place, may be employed. The character of these means will depend upon the condition of use, and in particular on whether a particular style of holder is intended to be interchangeably mounted in different places or is to be always used in the same way. As shown in Fig. 1, the member C is provided with an arm or tang C adapted to be received in a suitable socket which may be provided in a bracket or the like secured to the frame of the automobile if used on the latter.

To insert or replace a tag or sign T, it is obviously only necessary to loosen the clamping screws D and E and move the clips F and F away from the arms B and A respec tively, remove the tag, if one is already in place, insert the new tag, push the parts snugly together, and tighten the screws D and E.

G is a cap secured to the upper end of arm A to prevent the accidental entire removal of the clip F.

l/Vhile in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, one of the clips (F) is permanently secured to its supporting arm, and the latter is itself adjustable, this is by no means essential in all cases, and in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have illustrated a construction in which the arms A A and B B are rigidly connected together as by gusset plates H and rivets II. In this form, the arms A A and B B are plain rectangular ungrooved bars, and the gusset plates H H overlap the apex of the angle between the arms A A and B B to support the corresponding corner of the tag T. In this form the clips or holders F A on the two arms are identical. Each clip F A is formed by similar front and back pieces f and distance pieces f and f secured together by rivets f Each distance piece f is spaced 5 away from the arm on which the corresponding clip is mounted and is also spaced away from the edges of the pieces f adjacent the tag. Between each distance piece f and the supporting arm for the clip, a screw I extends through the front and back pieces which, with a corresponding thumb nut I provides a means for securing the clip to its supporting arm in any desired adjustment.

As shown each screw I has one side flattened and bearlng against the corresponding arm A A or B B which thus serves as a key to prevent the screw from turning. Headed rivets K passing through the free ends of arms A A and B B prevent the accidental removal from the arms of the clips F A.

Any suitable means for supporting the holder shown in Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 may be employed. For instance, screws (not shown) passing through the holes L L in the arm A A may be used for this purpose.

WVith either form of the invention the tag holder may be provided with a socket to receive the arm of an automobile lamp bracket and with an arm to receive and support the lamp displaced. In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown such an arrangement in conjunction with a tag holder like that shown by Figs, 4, 5 and 6. In Fig. 8, M represents the socket adapted to be fitted over the lamp bracket arm and as shown is formed integrally with one of the gusset plates H. The other gusset plate H in this form of my invention has integrally formed with it the lamp supporting arm N.

While, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have herein described and illustrated the best forms of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my in vention, and that certain features of my invention may be used with advantage in some cases without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tag holder for the purpose specified, comprising a pair of arms meeting at an an gle, means at the junction of the arms providing a recess adapted to receive a corner of a tag, and a pair of clips, one supported by each arm and adjustable toward and away from the other arm, whereby each arm 30 and the clip supported by the other arm form means between which opposing edges of a tag may be gripped.

2. A tag holder for the purpose specified, comprising a pair of arms meeting at an an- 35 gle, gusset plates for securing the arms together at their junction, said gusset plates being arranged on opposite sides of the arms and overlapping the apex of the angle between the arms to thereby provide a pocket 0 or recess into which one corner of a tag may be inserted, and a pair of clips, one supported by each arm and adjustable toward and away from the other arm, whereby each arm and the clip supported by the other arm form means between which opposing edges of the tag may be gripped.

3. A tag holder for the purpose specified, comprising a pair of arms meeting at an angle, means at the junction of the arms providing a recess adapted to receive a corner of a tag, and a pair of clips, one supported by each arm and adjustable toward. and away from the other arm whereby each arm and the clip supported by the other arm form means between which opposing edges of a tag may be gripped, each clip comprising a pair of plates arranged at opposite sides of the arms supporting the clip, and distance pieces between said plates, and at opposite sides of the supporting arm, with the space between the distance pieces greater than the corresponding dimension of the arm, and means for drawing said plates together to lock the clip to the arm, said means including a clamping screw passing through the plates between one of said distance pieces and the arm on which the clip is mounted.

4:. A tag holder for the purpose specified, comprising a pair of arms meeting at an angle, means at the junction of the arms providing a recess adapted to receive a corner of a tag, and a pair of clips, one supported by each arm and adjustable toward and away from the other arm whereby each arm and the clips supported by the other arm form means between which opposing edges of a tag may be gripped, each clip comprising a pair of plates arranged at opposite sides of the arms supporting the clip, and i 10 ing screw having a flattened side separated from the distance piece on the other side of the arm by a space approximately equal to the corresponding dimension of the arm, whereby said arm serves as a key for pre venting the clamping screw from rotating.

WILLIAM H. HOLLIS.

Witnesses ARNOLD KA'rz, D. STEWART. 

